LAHORE, Dec 22 (APP): All mayors, deputy mayors, district chairmen and vice chairmen will take oath on December 31, as the final phase of local bodies polls process in the province will be completed with the declaration of results by the returning officers on Friday.
On Thursday, polling for the offices of chairmen and deputy chairmen was held in all the districts.
In the provincial capital,the ruling party-backed Col (retd) Mubashir Javaid has been elected unopposed as Lahore’s mayor after the Election
Commission of Pakistan (ECP) rejected candidature of the opposition Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as the PTI had failed to complete its panel.
PML(N) had nominated Colonel (retired) Mubashir and Wasim Qadir for mayoral elections, while PTI backed Afeef Siddiqui.
However, after the nomination papers of the opposition candidates were rejected, Wasim Qadir withdrew his nomination papers in favour
of Mubashir.
All the nine deputy mayors Bilal Chaudhry, Haji Allah Rakha, Ijaz Hafeez, Mehr Mahmood, Mian Tariq, Mushtaq Mughal, Nazeer Swati, Rao Shahabuddin and Wasim Qadir were also been elected unopposed.
Earlier, the PMLN considered Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan for the Lahore mayor’s office, but his name was later dropped due to his existing responsibilities related to development work in the city.
Local bodies set-up to be completed on Dec 31
Polling starts for final phase of LB elections
SARGODHA, Dec 22 (APP): Polling started in peaceful atmosphere for the election of one district council chairman and five chairmen of municipal committees at district Sargodha here on Thursday morning.
As many as 189 members of district councils of seven Tehsils
including Sillanwali, Sargodha, Bhalwal, Sahiwal, Kotmomin, Bhera and Shahpur will cast their votes to elect chairman of the district council Sargodha.
Polling stations have been made at Faisal Hall District council
building Sargodha for the distrcit council chairmanship while the members of 5 municipal committees will cast votes at polling stations setup at their respective Tehsil buildings.
A competition is expected between PMLN candidate Sardar Asim Sher
Meken and joint opposition candidate Ch Farrukh Javed Ghuman for the office of district chairman.
It is pertinent to mention here that PML-N candidate Malik Aslam
Naveed has already won the mayorship of Sargodha as he remained unopposed.
LG polling concludes peacefully
FAISALABAD, Dec 22 (APP): Polling for Local Government (LG) elections
to elect mayor and three deputy mayors of Municipal Corporation and one chairman and three vice-chairmen of district council have concluded here in a peaceful manner.
The LG polling started at 9:00am and continued up to 2:00pm
peacefully on Thursday.
The Police Department had made foolproof security arrangements
at all polling stations in the district. The voters exercised their
right to vote without any fear and no untoward incident was reported
from any polling station.
Polling for chairmen,vice chairmen elections underway
SIALKOT, Dec 22 (APP) : Polling for election of chairmen and vice chairmen commenced peaceully in district Sialkot on Thursday.
The polling process will continue till 2 pm without any interval.
The Election Commission has established four polling stations for holding peaceful, impartial, transparent, free and fair elections of the heads of local bodies in Sialkot district and four tehsils including Sialkot, Sambrial, Daska and Pasrur.
The PML(N) has fielded Hina Arshad Warraich as its candidate for the slot of chairperson of district council Sialkot, besides three other candidates Ch Raza Subhani Advocate, Malik Ziyafat Ali Awan and Muhammad Jamil Ashraf as PMLN candidates for the three seats of vice chairmen.
In Pasrur, the PML-N leadership has given party ticket to Rana Muhammad Shabir as a potential candidate for the seat of chairman municipal committee.
The PML(N) has fielded Rana Jang Sher as a candidate for the office of chairman of municipal committee Sambrial. He is backed by local MPA Ch Arshad Javaid Warraich as well.
In Daska, the PML(N) leadership has left this election as open for the slot of chairman of Daska municipal committee, as it has not awarded ticket to any candidate here Whereas, PML(N) candidate Ch Tauheed Akhtar has already been elected unopposed as the mayor of Sialkot municipal corporation while, PML(N) candidate Ch Bashir Ahmed
was also elected unopposed as deputy mayor here as no candidate submitted nomination papers against these PML(N) candidates.
396 voters to cast votes for final phase of local bodies election
FAISALABAD, Dec 22 (APP): As many as 396 voters will exercise their vote power to elect top-slots of local government (LG) in district Faisalabad here Thursday.
A spokesman of the Election Commission said that three panels including Muhammad Razzaq Malik panel, Sheraz Kahlon panel and Chaudhary Mumtaz Ali Cheema panel are participating in the election of city.
He said that Muhammad Razzaq Malik panel is contesting the election on the symbol of lion while Mayor Group has fielded Sheraz Kahlon as independent candidate for the top slot of municipal corporation with a symbol of Vase (Guldan). Similarly, PTI supported candidate former city nazim Chaudhary Mumtaz Ali Cheema is also contesting for the
office of city mayor with a symbol of Refrigerator.
In district council, three panels including Chaudhary Zahid Nazir panel, Mian Qasim Farooq panel and Sardar Khan Bahadar Dogar panel are also contesting for the office of chairman.
PMLN candidate Chaudhary Zahid Nazir is contesting the election for chairman on the symbol of lion and Mian Qasim Farooq is contesting the election on the symbol of Refrigerator.
ECP spokesman said that as many as 182 voters including 157 elected chairmen of city councils and 25 members of reserved seats will cast their votes for election of one City Mayor and 3 Deputy Mayors.
Similarly, 214 voters including 189 elected chairmen of union councils and 25 members elected against various reserved seats will exercise their vote power to elect one Chairman and 3 Vice Chairmen of District Council, he added.
Polling for elections of mayors, chairmen starts
FAISALABAD, Dec 22 (APP): Polling process for the elections of mayor ,
deputy mayors, chairman and deputy chairmen started in time at Faisalabad district on Thursday.
In Faislabad, a Mayor and three Deputy Mayors of municipal corporation
as well as a chairman and 3 vice chairmen of district council and municipal committees will be elected.
A spokesman of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) claimed today that no report of delay in polling from any polling station was received so far.
He said that according to the election code, no contesting candidate,
party or their supporters can set-up their camps near the polling stations to convince the voters.
Therefore, all the electioneering camps set up near polling stations
have been removed and warned the contesting candidates to abide by the election code of conduct or be ready to face the legal consequences in case of any kind of violation.
CPEC to prove game changer for Pakistan: Ahsan Iqbal
ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform Ahsan Iqbal Wednesday said that China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) would prove a game changer for Pakistan which was needed to be aligned with academia.
Ahsan Iqbal said this as a chief guest in inaugural ceremony of ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship Mega Event 2016’ organized by NUST and DICE Foundation, said a statement issued here.
The event aimed at building a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in Pakistan.
Speaking at the occasion, he commended the efforts of DICE Foundation in promoting the entrepreneurial spirit in the country by providing a platform for academia, industry, government, entrepreneurs and expatriates.
Pakistan was the 4th largest e-lancing country and had experienced digital economic boom in the last decade, the minister added.
He highlighted government’s plan to open up a university in each district of Pakistan and to establish a Pak-US Knowledge Corridor in which 10, 000 scholarships would be provided to Pakistani students at top US universities in the next 10 years.
Government had initiated three major education reforms including
curriculum reforms, examination system reforms and teacher training programs to revolutionise the education sector, he added.
He said that innovation was the latest currency of competitiveness.
Ahsan said that the difference in countries and societies was not only restricted to resources but it was also in imaginations and innovation.
He also encouraged young students by visiting their stalls in NUST innovation and entrepreneurship mega event and said that key to Pakistan’s development was in scientific inquiry and innovation.
E-commerce has potential to reach $1 bn by 2020
ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): The first meeting the of e-commerce Policy Board chaired by Minister for Finance Muhammad Ishaq Dar here on Wednesday was informed that e-Commerce was still in its infancy in Pakistan but it was estimated to reach US$ 1 billion by 2020 provided the correct regulatory framework and infrastructure is in place.
The Board had recently been constituted by the Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to oversee the cross-institutional efforts of creating an e-Commerce Policy Framework being coordinated by the Ministry of Commerce, said a statement issued by the finance ministry.
The Minister said that formation of the e-Commerce Policy Board was proof of the government’s serious commitment to the promotion of e-Commerce in Pakistan.
He highlighted the importance of creating a conducive environment for the growth of e-Commerce in the country, including through provision of the requisite infrastructure, and legal and regulatory framework.
Secretary Commerce briefed the Board on the current status and future prospects of e-Commerce globally and in Pakistan.
He informed that e-Commerce now accounted for nearly 2.6 per cent of global GDP.
Commerce Minister, Engr. Khurram Dastgir Khan, informed the Board that e-Commerce had become a globally important issue in the World Trade Organization.
He emphasized that it was extremely important for Pakistan to create an environment in the country which would lead to high growth of SMEs, including e-Commerce initiatives.
Minister of State for IT & Telecom, Anusha Rahman, informed that the Ministry of IT & Telecom is already working on some key areas related to e-Commerce which would assist in unlocking the hidden potential of e-Commerce in Pakistan.
The Board discussed the way forward to devise a comprehensive e-Commerce Policy in the country.
A detailed action plan focusing on reforms in several areas affecting e-Commerce was discussed.
The Board approved formulation of five Working Groups on various tasks in the plan, namely Taxation, Payment Infrastructure, Regulatory Framework, Logistics, and E-Commerce, WTO and Development, with representatives from both the public and private sectors.
The Board also directed that the holistic regulatory framework may be examined in consultation with all stakeholders to promote and ease e-Commerce.
The Finance Minister thanked all participants and encouraged all members of the Board to work on a fast-track basis to ensure the success of this initiative.
The meeting was also attended by Governor State Bank of Pakistan, Chairman SECP, Chairman FBR, Secretary IT, Secretary Communications, private sector representatives, and senior officials of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce and SBP.
New election bill to ensure free, fair polls in 2018: Dar
ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar on Wednesday said that the proposed draft of Election Bill 2017 had been prepared with complete consensus of all political parties and it would ensure transparent, free and fair elections to be held in 2018.
The draft bill which gives complete administrative and financial powers to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), ensures registration of voters in the ECP automatically after registration of new National Identity Card and allows handicapped people to post their votes through postal service, was tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday by Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar who is also Chairman of Electoral Reforms Committee and it would be submitted in the upper
house tomorrow (December 22).
Addressing the press briefing alongwith Minister for Law and Justice, Zahid Hamid and Minister of State for Information Technology, Anusha Rehman here, Ishaq Dar said the present government was introducing new law regarding elections after a gap of 40 years to make the electoral process more free, fair and transparent.
He said the sub committee was formed in October 2014 which had held 70 meetings so far and presented 1283 proposals.
Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid said that Sub-committee’s recommendations consist of three parts including Draft Election Bill 2017, Draft Election Rules 2017 and Draft on Constitutional Amendments.
Discussing the Constitutional Amendments, the minister said that the Sub-committee approved amendments with consensus.
He said that 22nd Constitutional Amendment was held only for the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) as appointments of Chairman and members of ECP were mentioned in the amendment.
He said that the sub-committee forwarded the draft of 23rd Constitutional Amendment to the main committee which was presented before the National Assembly and it was also posted on the Assembly’s website so that it could be finalized after receiving suggestions from Parliamentarians and general public.
He said that sub-committee reviewed/examined 1283 suggestions received from general public and organizations like Free and fair Election Network (FAFEN), UNDP, Transparency International and European Union Observers.
Dar said that the committee also examined reports and suggestions received from standing committees of National Assembly and Senate.
He said that the committee members expressed reservations over one point regarding suspension of election in the constituency where election result showed that less than 10 per cent women casted votes in the constituency.
He said that it was only a draft which would be finalized after receiving suggestions.
He said that the final draft would be presented in the National Assembly after consensus of all parties.
Ishaq Dar said that the committee awarded many powers to the ECP and its directions/orders would be considered final.
He said that the committee decided to empower ECP with financial autonomy according to Article 81 of the Constitution. ECP can take actions on rigging allegations and it would formulate an election cell to monitor the process.
He said that ECP staff would take oath according to their Act and Rules for making the election process transparent.
He said that polling scheme would be announced before 30 days of polling which cannot be changed.
He said that Close Circuit Television (CCTV) Cameras would be installed at sensitive polling stations to avoid rigging allegations.
He said that the committee had decided that the persons with disability can also use postal ballot.
He said that the committee also held meetings on voting right for of overseas Pakistanis, Biometrics verification of votes and voting through Electronic Voting Machines but failed to get satisfactory results.
Ishaq Dar said that the committee empowered the ECP to use these technologies on experimental basis in the elections.
Discussing the issue of Election Petitions, he said that hearing of Election petitions would be held on day to day basis and Election Tribunals would be bound to announce verdict over petitions in a specific time period.
He said that the ECP would make code of conduct for elections and it would be provided to media, election observers and all other organizations.
He said that committee asked the ECP to run special campaigns for registration of women voters.
Zahid Hamid asked the political parties to ensure five per cent tickets to women candidates in the general elections.
Replying to a question, Ishaq Dar clarified regarding the notification issued by the government to attach the regulatory bodies with the federal ministries.
He said that all the regulatory bodies were already attached with some ministries and this notification transferred the administrative powers of those bodies from one ministry to others.
He rejected the notion that the regulatory bodies were regulating the ministries, saying that the regulatory bodies regulate just their own subject matters and policy and administrated powers were already with the ministries.
Dar holds meeting with LCCI delegation
ISLAMABAD, Dec 21 (APP): Minister for Finance Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar Wednesday held a meeting with a delegation of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) led by Abdul Basit, President LCCI here and discussed matters pertaining to national economy and the business community.
Welcoming the delegation, Finance Minister recalled that when the present government assumed office in 2013, Pakistan’s economy was in a precarious situation and international experts were predicting that it would take Pakistan’s economy five years to stabilize.
The Minister highlighted that, contrary to those predictions, Pakistan had managed to achieve macroeconomic stability within two and a half years due to the efforts of the present government.
He said that the government was now focused on achieving higher, sustainable and inclusive economic growth.
Abdul Basit, President of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry congratulated the Minister over his remarkable achievements in achieving macro-economic stability, structural reforms, merger of three stock exchanges, Companies Bill 2016 and uninterrupted electricity supply to the Industry.
He said the business community highly appreciated these developments and making sincere efforts to boost industrial growth and exports.
He stressed upon the need of focusing on food industry which had huge potential to enhance exports and provide relief to the agriculture sector.
He also extended an invitation to the Finance Minister to visit Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the near future.
The Finance Minister accepted the LCCI’s invitation and briefed the delegation on the turnaround of Pakistan’s economy in the last three years, macroeconomic stability, and improvement of energy and security situation in the country, which had provided a conducive atmosphere for foreign direct investment.
The Government had built confidence of the business community and country’s outlook is positive, he maintained.
The Finance Minister said that the government was implementing all those things which were promised in the PML (N) election manifesto.
Dar informed the delegation that the OECD (Multilateral Convention on Mutual Administrative assistance in Tax Matters), which he signed on September 14, 2016 in Paris had been ratified by the Pakistani Cabinet.
Pakistani Cabinet also authorized the processing of Pakistan’s membership to Open Government Partnership (OGP), he added.
Accordingly, he handed over Pakistan’s Letter of Intent for joining OGP to the French President Francois Hollande in the OGP Global Summit held in Paris.
All these measures showed Prime Minister, Muhammed Nawaz Sharif governments’ commitment to usher in transparency and good governance in Pakistan, he maintained.
He viewed that these steps had enhanced Pakistan image as a sovereign and prestigious country in the international arena.
The Minister said that world’s economists applauded Pakistan’s economic performance and British economist Jim O’Neill said in his report that Pakistan had had potential to become the 18th largest economy by 2050 but he was determined to achieve this target much earlier.
He assured the delegation that government would make every possible effort to promote investment and exports.
The delegation also discussed problems being faced in further growth of industry in the country.